LAST UPDATE | 25 Oct 2022
BKT URC CHIEF executive Martin Anayi admitted that it may be difficult to reschedule last weekend’s postponed clash between Ulster and the Sharks in South Africa, as well as the fixture between the Lions and Glasgow.
Anayi’s words will increase fears that Ulster may have to forfeit the match points for the game.
Ulster were due to face the Durban-based side last Saturday but the game was called off on Friday after 29 of Ulster’s players and 13 of their staff fell ill with gastroenteritis. Glasgow’s clash with the Lions was also postponed due to illness in the Scottish side’s squad.
Anayi has now confirmed that the squads were struck by both the bacterial E. Coli and the viral Norovirus, while he also said that the initial stages of an independent medical review suggested that Ulster and Glasgow may have arrived into South Africa already carrying the bugs, rather than catching them after landing.
Ulster did, of course, play their first game in South Africa against the Lions two weekends ago, while Glasgow played against the Sharks.
“First of all, it was incredibly disappointing for everybody concerned that we didn’t get those games away,” said Anayi today.
“Anybody who was close to the Sharks, it’s so disappointing because of what they would have managed to put on away from the field had the game taken place. They had all their Boks available, a fantastic fan zone, really invested in that, so supremely disappointing.
“The reality is that we took the medical advice, as we always do. The view very clearly from that independent doctor was that we had two very sick squads. It really was quite stark, there was no opportunity to delay the games by 24 or 48 hours. The independent doctor felt that both squads had a significant amount of guys down with a bug.
“A review is ongoing because it’s important to understand what happened because it is quite odd, I think. But early indications are that it’s two separate bugs there, one E.Coli and one Norovirus, and there are some indications that they brought it with them as well.
“So there’s quite a lot to go into the medical review, which is ongoing and we’re looking into that. Our rules do state, however, that games should be replayed. So that’s the first point as to why the matches are listed as being postponed.”
The suggestion that Ulster and Glasgow could have arrived into South Africa with the bugs is at odds with initial theories that they may have fallen ill due to contaminated local water.
“That’s why we’re doing the review, it’s not to cast any aspersions or accusations or anything like that, it’s just to understand what happened,” said Anayi.
“It’s quite odd, isn’t it, when you’ve got two separate squads going down and contracting, as I understand it, two different bugs.
“So how that happens is really important to us to see what measures we can take to try and ensure it doesn’t happen again, the knock-on consequences of it happening are not good for anyone.
“To make sure it’s an isolated incident that doesn’t happen again, that’s the aim of the medical review.”
As for the possibility of rescheduling these games, Anayi admitted that there would be a real challenge amidst a busy calendar that also features November Tests, the Champions Cup, and the Six Nations.
It may be that rescheduling is not possible and in that case, the URC’s sporting committee would decide how the match points would be allocated. Given that the Sharks were fit and ready to play, the suggestion from South Africa is that they should be awarded the match points.
“It is difficult to find a slot in the schedule,” said Anayi. “We don’t like playing on international weekends.
“If we find that we just don’t have the slot, it wouldn’t be right to send mismatched teams against one another, and there’s a sporting committee at URC which needs to decide on that. It’s not my decision, it’s a sporting committee decision. On that committee, each stakeholder has a representative and that’s binding.
“So they need to hear when those games can be replayed, if they can be replayed. And if they can’t be replayed, what happens as a result of that. That body also hears the results of the independent medical review as to what happened. It’s important we fully understand what happened so we take precautions where possible or where relevant.
“Number one, if there’s a spot to replay the game, we will replay it subject to the sporting committee, and that will happen in the next weeks, not months. We’ll come back to everyone when we know the results of that.”
